''Angel'', a SpinOff of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', ran for five seasons on the WB Network (1999-2004). Part horror, part melodrama, part [[FilmNoir neo-noir]], with a helping of comedy (a given for [[Creator/JossWhedon Whedon]]), ''Angel'' ran for a respectable five years but never quite escaped the shadow of its parent show.

The show stars around the eponymous vampire who had a curse placed on him by Gypsies centuries ago. The curse gave Angel his human soul back -- along with two centuries' worth of guilt for all the misery he caused. On ''Buffy'', Angel learned he could make amends for said crimes and left Sunnydale to pursue redemption on his own. He soon cobbled together his own WestCoastTeam (albeit on the [[UsefulNotes/LosAngeles same coast]]) and formed an OccultDetective agency to help him as he confronted the forces of evil. [[EvilInc And their lawyers.]]

Over the course of its run, the show experimented with MonsterOfTheWeek episodes laced with a [[CityNoir hard-boiled, Sin City]] atmosphere, but later jettisoned it for something more akin to UrbanFantasy mixed with AncientConspiracy. The overarching plot became a meditation on the nature of good and evil, with Angel serving as an enigma on both sides. Much like ''Buffy'', ''Angel'' switched directions on a semi-regular basis; by the fifth season, of the original starring cast of three, only David Boreanaz as the title character remained. That being said, several ''Buffy'' alumni wound up migrating to ''Angel'', totaling out at five by series' end (not counting numerous [[CrossOver crossovers]] within the '[[SeriesFranchise verse]]).

Despite its arc-driven and [[ContinuityLockOut not-especially-accessible]] nature, ''Angel'' nevertheless gained a devoted following that included numerous high-profile television critics. While the network cancelled the show abruptly during its fifth season, Joss and Creator/MutantEnemy still had enough time to put together a GrandFinale, which ended up topping the ''Buffy'' finale in terms of viewers.

''Angel'' has, to one degree or another, greatly influenced ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'', which could be considered its British equivalent. Just compare the page images.

Angel's adventures continued in a comic named "Angel: After The Fall," published by IDW. Its tropes can be found [[ComicBook/AngelIDW here]], though that page is a work in progress. Creator/DarkHorseComics currently publishes the latest continuation, an ongoing series with Faith called ''ComicBook/AngelAndFaith''.----